Promoting Vietnamese avocado exports to the United States

To enter the United States, Vietnamese avocado exports must meet the minimum requirements and regulations. Specifically, they include ripeness, color, and weight. In addition, the fruit must be intact, clean, and free from insects. It must not be exposed to excessively humid conditions and must remain suitable for transportation and packaging.

After nearly 10 years of negotiations, Vietnamese mangoes have officially entered into the United States. Moreover, Vietnam is now stepping up trade promotion efforts to introduce Vietnamese avocado exports into this demanding.

In 2018 the United States spent USD 2.35 billion importing 1.04 million tons of avocados. There are around 51% of U.S. households that consume avocados. On average, each household spent USD 24.5 per year on the fruit.

The Vietnam Trade Office branch in San Francisco stated that most avocados in the United States are available at major supermarket chains in large volumes. In order to enter into this market, they must meet very strict requirements. Therefore, Vietnamese avocado suppliers must take responsibility for and control all stages of the supply chain, from production to distribution.

Vietnamese avocado exports

In addition, exporting companies should ensure they possess sufficient quality certifications. Since avocados are ready-to-eat fruit, businesses must pay special attention to food safety factors.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office branch in San Francisco, Vietnam currently has many avocado varieties capable of producing fruit almost year-round. However, the commercial value of Vietnamese avocado exports remains low. This is due to limitations in the application of science and technology, fragmented production scales, and the lack of established branding and geographical indications.

To fully tap the potential of Vietnamese avocado exports, Vietnam needs to identify and develop high-quality, high-yield avocado varieties. At the same time, the country should implement effective marketing and promotional strategies for Vietnamese avocados.

Fresh avocado from Vietnam

If production is well organized, with proper investment and an appropriate market approach, avocados could quickly become one of Vietnam’s high-export-revenue crops.

Global avocado export turnover reached approximately USD 6 billion in 2017. Among exporting regions, North America — mainly Mexico — was the largest exporter and accounted for more than 50% of global export value. The European Union accounted for 22.8%, while Latin American countries excluding Mexico represented 19.5%. The remaining shares included Africa with around 3.4%, Asia with 1.7%, and Oceania — led by New Zealand — with 1.6%.